Home
by Honochan77
Summary: Months have passed, even a year. But with a forced streak of hope that kills him a little by each passing day, Kuroh hangs on desperately; waiting, waiting, for his King... Disclaimer: I do not by any means own neither K Project nor it's characters. This is simply a little thing of a sequel I brewed up in hope of making myself and others a little less miserable about the ending.


_A/N Before you scroll or even look past this line, I present you…_

_**!SPOILER ALERT!**_

_If there's any of you who haven't completely watched K-Project and do not wish to be spoiled, then I suggest you open up your anime collection wherever it is, (or just watch it somewhere if it's not there or you don't have) and finish watching the whole season one. (As far as I'm aware of, there currently is only one season, but who knows when another might appear? *looks up at the ceiling with a pathetic hopeful smile*) Otherwise, hope you enjoy my little writing~ ^^_

_I'm not sure what you'd really call this, but the closest it could be is a sequel of the first season of the anime, I guess. ._. I watched this some time ago, (Understatement; it was last year) and was not at all satisfied with the ending. *sobs* So stubborn I was, and thought, to hell with it. Then out of nowhere, this (the writing below) appeared on my screen._

_Enough of the useless and lengthy A/N, I bet most of you don't even read it xD So anyway, enjoy~ :D_

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**~Home~**

_It has already been a year since you disappeared. You simply disappeared out of sight, off the face of the earth. Surely, you didn't die. You couldn't die. After all, you are the Immortal King, right? You'll come back for sure. To your home. Someday, you would open the door, and say "I'm home," with the same stupid face you make all the time in what you call a smile. Someday, the three of us would sit together at this table again, just like that time, and you would be your same childish and carefree self as you laughed and joked with me. And this time, I wouldn't tell you that this would be the last meal you'll ever have. Well, maybe I would. But at the end, you know? You would just make me smile._

"Neko, breakfast is ready." Yatogami Kuroh called from the table as he set down the last of the dishes. He put a hand on his hip and turned to the girl who was playing with the untied strings on the oversized dress she was wearing. With an excited meow, Neko jumped off the bed and did a little twirl to fascinate herself as the strings spun around her, before flopping at the end of the low table. Sighing lightly at the cat's antics, Kuroh sat down on his knees as well and closed his eyes for thanking.

The moment he opened them, Kuroh was hit with a sudden wave of déjà vu. He stilled on his spot as he stared into the small bowl of rice in front of him, and as the smell of smoked fish traced to his nose bringing an unwanted nostalgia with it. He hadn't noticed it before, but this was the exact same menu he'd made that day. Even Neko had gone silent. Normally, she'd have started ransacking the food without a second's delay. Now she was just looking at the table with a heartbroken expression. The natural atmosphere from a minute ago was replaced with a dismal aura that filled the room and its two residents.

"Shiro…will come back, right?" Neko whispered, almost to herself.

Kuroh looked at her sadly. Neko being accepted as the first of his clansmen, Kuroh understood how attached the girl was to Shiro.

He understood, even better than her, how it felt to lose your King.

How it felt to lose someone dear to you.

How it felt to lose your friend.

A pang of sadness clutched at Kuroh's heart and tugged horribly. Why was he remembering this all of a sudden? This wasn't the time to get sentimental. He'd have to be strong for Neko's sake. Shiro would have expected at least that much from him. He'd told Kuroh to look after her in his place. This was the least he could do for his King.

"Neko…"

"Because..!" Neko started, her voice higher than usual. "Because…I still haven't returned Shiro's umbrella to him! I have to give it back to him! It's Shiro's most important umbrella." She scampered over to where the so spoken umbrella was, still beside the bed, and held it close. "I have to give it back…"

Feeling extremely helpless, the thought of even throwing away the damn umbrella crossed his mind. Horrified at himself, Kuroh shut away his bitter thoughts and ground his teeth. Damn it.

Ever since the day the number of Kings was reduced by three, Kuroh had been waiting. Since Neko had insisted and wouldn't have it any other way than stay at Shiro's room, there was nothing he could do. He didn't actually have much against it either. It was surprising, but this was the only place Kuroh felt closest to home after Ichigen-sama left.

But staying here meant that there were memories. It might be only one or two, but it was all they had. Precisely because of that, Kuroh knew, that sooner or later, this day would come. He thought he had prepared himself for it. He really did.

But at the end, he was still waiting.

Waiting patiently and painfully for nothing to happen.

"Neko," Kuroh said tersely, his voice curt and tight. The cat deliberately ignored both his call of her name and the tone, and continued to keep her arms clamped tightly around the sunshade, eyes squeezed shut.

"Neko," Kuroh repeated in the same voice, only with a hint of wavering confidence in it this time, which was veiled by a fabricated emotion of anger.

Neko looked up anxiously at Kuroh's frowning face. It wasn't that he was mad at her, she knew. It was simply that Kuroh was also feeling the same as Neko did. After all, she felt a little bit sad about it, but it couldn't be helped that the fact was that Kuroh was more worried and distressed about Shiro than she was. Neko loved Shiro more than anything in the world. She couldn't have imagined a world without her light. Because Shiro was Neko's, and Neko was Shiro's. But it wasn't that simple. When Kuroh appeared, she felt it. She could clearly see it. But she didn't want to let go. So she hung on desperately to the words, fearful that he would be stolen away from her.

Shiro is Neko's, and Neko is Shiro's.

But it still happened.

He was stolen.

Neko couldn't understand. Her simple mind didn't show her any reason why this would have to happen.

Kuroh was a nice person. He was kind. And Shiro liked him. He was his friend.

So Neko was also his friend.

But why did it feel like there was something she couldn't see? A monochrome bond formed before her eyes, between the two conflicting opposites? There would be no color, but she couldn't help but think it was still beautiful.

A harmony of black and white.

Kuroh and Shiro.

It was pretty.

But it had also faded.

Neko bit her lip, lowering her eyes. She knew Kuroh must be in pain. The swordsman had never once shown as much emotion as he did, anywhere other than when it concerned the boy. Now that he was gone, Kuroh was even more reserved than he used to be. The two of them lived an ordinary life now, but there would still be times when he would shun everyone away and gaze off into the distance by himself. Though Neko knew it was her fault today.

"Sorry," Neko said quietly, not looking at Kuroh.

Kuroh sighed. He had almost lost himself again. He really should break the empty lie both of them were urging themselves to believe. It would just make it hurt worse when it became clear.

If it already wasn't that is.

"No, never mind." Kuroh stood up and went to the cherry haired girl to help her up. It was left for them. They'd have to help each other, since they were all what were left.

A soft knock on the door made the both of them turn around in surprise. Nobody ever came to visit them the past year, and it was unexpected that anyone would, all of a sudden. Before Kuroh could attempt to go open the door, Neko was on her feet.

"Neko will get it." She said as she defiantly walked over, trying to let Kuroh know that she, too, could be responsible.

Kuroh nodded understandingly and watched as Neko stumbled once, then quickly pulled herself together and opened the door. She began to greet the visitor how Kuroh had taught her.

"Um, may I help-" Neko stopped short and gave a gasp, making Kuroh's hand immediately move to the sword on his side. He was on his feet in an instant.

"Neko, what is it?" He went over and pulled her by the shoulders to take a look at whomever it was that had appeared. Kuroh's eyes widened at the sight he was presented with.

Standing before them, with an awkward but merry smile on his face, pure white from the tips of his hair till the ends of his robe, was no other than the ever familiar Isana Yashiro. Isana Yashiro, who had right before their eyes, gone into nothingness, was standing in front of them the very moment. He knew it would look stupid, but Kuroh blinked twice to make sure he wasn't dreaming. And Shiro was still there.

Neko was the first to react. Straight away, she burst into tears and clung to Shiro as if her life depended on it. Kuroh watched, still in shock and absorbing what his eyes showed him, as Neko continued to chant and sob Shiro's name, not letting loose for a single moment.

"Shiro.. Shiro, it's really you, right, Shiro? You came back. Shiro came back to Neko. Neko knew that you would.. Neko believed! Shiro..!"

If Kuroh was dreaming, then apparently, Neko was having the same dream as he. Shiro looked taken aback and content at the same time. He looked peaceful. He gave Neko a hug, said "Yes, It's me, Neko." and smiled. He looked at Kuroh's stunned expression and a light laugh escaped his lips. It rippled through the air, giving the room color with it. Kuroh felt his memories flow back from time. He was entranced in Shiro's magic spell. The sound was music to his ears.

When Neko finally let go of Shiro, he turned to the swordsman. Kuroh, still rooted to the spot, couldn't do anything but gape at the albino. Shiro seemed amused, and gave a chuckle. "You can speak, you know, Kuroh." He said teasingly.

Kuroh opened his mouth, but no words came out. How many times had he imagined this? How many hours did he spend, thinking about the impossible possibilities of how Shiro would return? Countless times, Kuroh had replayed various scenarios in his mind, of the three of them would come to live together again, and it was happening right before him. So why wasn't he able to respond?

Shiro looked at him with a tender expression, then stepped towards him. Gently, but nervously, he wrapped his arms around the taller figure's body. He tensed for a moment, wondering whether Kuroh would push him away or not. Getting no reaction, Shiro pressed himself closer to the other in a tight hug.

"H-how..?" Kuroh finally asked in a strangled whisper. He couldn't understand what was going on anymore. Just a while ago, he and Neko were wishing more than anything that Shiro would appear. And now he had. He could see him. He could hear him. He could feel him. But Kuroh didn't know what to do. His thoughts were muddled, and his mind was in a swirl. He felt his emotions brimming, and his chest tightening. It was strange.

"How doesn't matter." Shiro's carefree calm voice soothed him and threw him into unbalance at the same time. "Aren't you glad to see me?"

"What are you…" Kuroh tried to calm down. His fists tightened around the snow colored fabric of Shiro's robe as he swallowed once, twice. What was Shiro wearing? He wondered subconsciously. More importantly, where had he been and what had he been doing all this time? Didn't he realize how worried both Neko and himself were? If he was alive, no, when Shiro was alive, why didn't he knock on their door sooner? Didn't he know…? Didn't he realize…? How much they had suffered… The pain Kuroh had endured as each day he let himself be washed into the past… The past where Shiro was part of his life too… Damn him, the kid was always so free of trouble when trouble was all that followed him.

"Kuroh," Shiro called his name softly. He pulled back and looked at Kuroh with concern. "You'll ruin your face." He brought up a hand and wiped his thumb in a gentle caress over Kuroh's cheek, wiping away a tear. Kuroh's eyes showed surprise and new confusion, as he realized the tears were his.

"H-huh?" Kuroh raised his hand to cover his face. Why was he crying? Shiro came home, shouldn't he be glad? So why..? Kuroh squeezed his eyes shut as more tears threatened to flow if he continued to think about it. What was this? He hadn't been keeping any feelings bottled up. There was nothing, he had assured himself, so what was going on?

"Kuroh, you can cry if you want to," Shiro said gently. "I'll always lend you a shoulder. So, cry."

So he cried.

He held onto Shiro, cradling his small figure in his arms and sobbed for what felt like eternity. He didn't care what anyone thought of him, all that mattered was that Shiro was safe. Kuroh shook and convulsed as the sobs racked him, and he never let go as Shiro's soft caresses continued to stroke his hair. Even Neko watched subdued at the sight before her.

Until Kuroh's very last hiccup, neither let go of the other. When he finally lifted his head with a tear streaked face, Shiro only smiled.

"Don't you feel much better now?"

Kuroh did feel better, much better than he had in years. Words couldn't express his happiness. Only actions could. And He knew exactly what action.

Grabbing a surprised Shiro's face, Kuroh leaned in and pressed his lips on the other's. Surprised as he was, Shiro made no attempt to move away or free himself. Kuroh's kiss was tender. Almost as if he was handling a precious jewel. He didn't know what got into him, but he didn't want to lose Shiro again. He wanted him to be his. Wishing against wish that his feelings would reach Shiro, Kuroh pulled back. With emotion filled eyes, he gazed at the albino.

Shiro's face was of understanding. While his heart beat raced, Kuroh kept his gaze on the other as Shiro's hand softly touched the raven's cheek with a sweet smile.

"I missed you too, Kuroh."

"You're an idiot." Kuroh lifted his hand and rested a shaky palm on Shiro's pale hand, comfortingly warm under his own.

"I know." Shiro laughed, bringing a smile to Kuroh's lips.

It was fine now. Everything was. Neko didn't need to know; he knew that although she didn't understand, she would try for Shiro's sake too. It didn't matter right now that the cat's eyes were darting between the two of them, curious of what was going on. All that mattered was fulfilled. Shiro was back, smiling, exactly like Kuroh knew the boy would. And that was all the world for him; to once again be able to see and feel that person beside him. His King, friend, and most beloved person ever to have entered his closed little heart.

Kuroh let his eyelids flutter close, the soft touch of Shiro's hand on his face, making him happier than he'd ever been in a long, long time.

_"I'm home."_

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If you liked it, or loved it, or noticed anything that needs improvement, please comment and let me know! I live on FFN for your feedback, you all sweethearts :3 *sits staring at laptop hopefully* Take care :)


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